Normal Play Chords
by chips and ice-cream
Summary: Donny's feeling weak and insignificant, all because of a fight, and a musical instrument. One Shot.


A/N: Hey guys! I know I've been away for a while, but I'm back now. This is my first go at writing something that's not mainly comedy, (there may still be a few jokes here and there) and also a newish viewpoint, so please tell me what you think. Oh, and before I forget I'm helping write a fic called 'TMNT Convention!' and it's on turtlegirls16's profile, go check it out! Anyway, on with the story!

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**Normal Play chords**

**Disclaimer: I (sadly) don't own any turtles.**

_A rooftop somewhere in New York City (Don's P.O.V)_

It's a quiet night. A cool, cloudless, quiet night. No robberies, no muggings... so I'm sat here, alone. My name is Donatello. Why am I sat here and not working on a project or messing around with my laptop? Well, me, Mike, Leo and Raph had been told by Splinter not to go out on patrol last week because the temperatures were reaching an extreme low. Being cold blooded, we probably should have listened to him. No, not probably, we just SHOULD have listened. Especially because of what happened.

We'd been out for about fifteen minutes when we saw some foot ninjas. So obviously we decided to go kick their shells. I should have known we didn't stand much of a chance. The temperature wasn't getting any warmer; in fact, it was just starting to snow. Predictably Raph barged in there and started to attack anything that moved and had the foot symbol on it. The rest of us followed soon after.

At first it looked like we were winning. With Raph's sudden attack on a small group he was able to take quite a few out before they realised we'd arrived. Leo sneaked up on a few standing by themselves and had them unconscious before they even knew he was there. Me and Mike were fighting shell to shell so we had a 360° view of oncoming enemies. Then it started.

The snow started falling heavier that before and it became harder to see, harder to concentrate (especially since I'd just gotten better after a case of the flu). The rest is a bit of a blur (personally, I blame the cold). Somehow me and Mikey got separated and I couldn't see where the others were. All I knew was that I was dodging shuriken when I heard a yell of pain. A yell I really didn't want to hear. Mikey's yell.

I saw that he'd ended up cornered by five of the foot, had been disarmed and had a large gash on his left leg. And he looked like he was in pain, so much pain... Even from afar, even through all the snow fall, I could see how bad it was; because you could see that a large amount of the surrounding snow had been stained crimson. Leo and Raph were at his side and had taken care of the unfortunate black clad ninjas that came in their way, all within ten seconds of Mike's scream. But not me. I hadn't beaten up about a half of the foot because they'd hurt Mike. I wasn't next to my baby brother, comforting him because he was so cold and in so much pain. I wasn't calling the name of the missing brother because he wasn't examining Mikey's wound like he should be. I was on the ground nearly 70 feet away, because I was too shocked and cold to get up. No, scrap that, too _scared _and cold. Oh no, wait, too _**weak **_and cold. That's what I was. Weak.

So weak I'd nearly passed out from the cold and hadn't noticed a lone foot ninja sneaking up behind me. I could hear someone calling my name, but I had just ignored it, I hadn't been concentrating. Lucky for me, Leo had. Leo was beside me in seconds. I can't remember much because I was on the verge of passing out from the extreme conditions, but the one thing I remember clearly was the words Leo said to the man who mere moments before was ready to kill me. He said, "You've already hurt one of my brothers, I'm not letting you take another one away from me." And then everything went dark.

I woke up in my room back at the lair a little while later. I checked the clock on my bedside table. 11:30pm, only an hour and a half after we left the lair. I was worried about Mike, and was pretty sure everyone else should still be awake, so I went to look for them. It didn't take long. The main part of the lair is just outside everyone's door, so I didn't have to walk far.

Leo was sat in a chair watching the door to the infirmary (where I was guessing Sensei was taking care of Mike since I wasn't able to). He looked worried and rather stressed. Then there was Raph, he was watching the T.V (wrestling, if you're interested). He seemed annoyed and ready to punch something, so he was acting normal.

I decided to attempt to lighten the mood a bit... then decided against it and just ask what I wanted to know, with a nice greeting thrown in. "Hey guys, how's Mike doing?"

"Hey Don, glad to see you woke up quickly."

"Yeah, ya almost had us worrying 'bout ya."

Typical brothers, see I'm here and don't answer the question. At least Raph muted he T.V. "Nice to know, is Mikey O.K?"

"Ya mean other than being freaked out about having stitches? Yeh, the little shell-for-brains' fine"

That was a relief... then Leo spoke up. "Actualy he was also worried about you. What happened out there Donny?"

_I'm weak and useless, that's what happened..._ "I think it was just the cold weather."

Then Leo and Raph spoke at the same time, Raph said "But the rest of us were there as well and were fine" and Leo said "Alright, if you say so Donny, but I think you aren't telling us something." (If you're interested, when they said it together it sort of sounded like, "Alright the you of so were, but as think and aren't fine something.") It was then I decided to try and put how weak I'd been to the back of my mind, to try and forget it.

"Hey dudes, look who survived stitches!" Mike came bounding out of the infirmary with master Splinter walking behind him.

"Hey Mike, you probably shouldn't be on that leg straight away you know."

"DONNY!" Trust Mikey to be ecstatic about just seeing me and having enough energy to tackle me to the ground.

"Never mind not being on that leg, you shouldn't be on ME!" Then Raph and Leo Clung onto me and Mikey and we had a part brotherly group hug, part rolling on the floor wrestling match with a side order of smiles and laughter. This all ended too soon because of the small, polite cough from a small way off.

"Now that we are all well and in the same room, I would like to talk to you all about your little outing." Now, I admit, we knew he was going to punish us all, but I for one thought Sensei would wait until morning. Either way, we were soon all kneeling in front of him with our heads bowed, ready for whatever he had in store for us.

"I am greatly disappointed in all of you. You disobeyed not only a direct order from your sensei, but also a strict rule and safety precaution from your father! I thought that at the age of sixteen, you were responsible enough to know when and why I do not allow you out of the lair at certain times and in certain conditions. Tonight is almost a perfect example of why you should not go on patrol in this kind of weather. I thought I could trust you enough to do as I say. I thought you trusted me enough to know why I would not let you go."

Yeah, I know, strict telling of with a bit of guilt thrown on the side. "Now, since you have shown me that at your age you are still going to act like children, I am going to treat you like children. Leonardo, you are not allowed any training or meditating outside of group sessions. Raphael, I forbid you to use your weights, punching bag or motorcycle. Donatello, you are only allowed on your laptop for two hours every day, your projects once a week and you're not allowed any coffee. Michelangelo, I am confiscating your comic books, action figures and skateboard. All of you are only allowed the television for a maximum of three hours a day. You must also be in bed before eleven and have my permission to leave the lair. These rules shall remain for one month. Any arguing about them or breaking of them and it shall be extended to two. Now, to bed in silence. Training will be at the normal time tomorrow morning, five sharp." And we went to bed, in silence.

So, now you know part of the reason I'm out here on the rooftop. I worked on my project yesterday, and have used up my laptop hours. Surprisingly, I'm quickly getting used to the no coffee rule so I'm not even tired, plus, since we adjusted to the rules so well, master Splinter has allowed us to leave the lair whenever we please (as long as we're back before ten thirty).

To be honest, I don't mind the new rules too much, they've given me time to do things I've been meaning to get around to. Getting rid of old gadgets, catching up on some books I've been meaning to read, and learning to play the keyboard. Yes, me, Donatello, the genius who loves nothing more than electronics, science and my family, is teaching himself how to play a musical instrument (which, considering I only have three fingers per had, I'm doing pretty well at).

Now, just in case you're wondering, I found an old keyboard at the junk yard the other week which was in really good condition, only needed some rewiring. So I brought it home, the others thought I was just going to use some of the parts to make something else, they still do, so I plug headphones in when I play it so they can't hear me playing. April gave me a beginner's keyboard book a couple of weeks ago, so I've been meaning to use it for a while and I've been getting through it quite quickly since Splinters punishment.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I was reading through the book and it showed you how to play normal play chords (a chord played in the right hand). As luck would have it, you only need three notes for your right hand. Then I noticed there was one note played in the left hand, so small on the diagram I barely noticed it. I played that note along with the others and realised it made hardly any difference. That's when I remembered, _I'm weak and useless, that's what happened... _Was I that little note in the left hand, barely noticed, didn't make much difference, the odd one out. The one furthest away from the other notes.

Since Sensei's new rules came into play the others had been spending more time together, asking if they could play video games with one another, agreeing on what to watch on T.V etc. What did they ask me to do? Don can you fix this, Donny I think I broke that, Genius this thing's stopped working. They've asked me to fix their stuff, not if I wanna hang out, not if I'm alright because I'm distancing myself from the others. I'm just there to fix things.

So, that's why I'm here, alone on this rooftop on this quiet, cool, cloudless night. I'm the odd turtle out. The one that isn't needed. The weak and useless one. I was too busy thinking, too busy to notice someone coming up behind me. "Hey Don."

"WHOA, Mikey! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking; I was just walking up behind you really quietly."

"That's practically the definition of sneaking."

"Details, details." Mike seemed really happy and hyper as always. Wish I was as happy as him...

We sat there for a few minutes, in silence. An awkward silence. Until Mikey spoke up. "What're you doing up here on your own?"

_Contemplating how insignificant I really am..._ "Just thinking."

"About what?"

_How weak I am... _"About what I'll need for my next project." I could tell that my voice sounded lifeless, upset, despite how much I tried to hide it.

"Cool." More silence. "Are you okay Donny?"

_No... _"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're not hanging out with the rest of us, you're staying in your room. Like you're distancing yourself." Mike sounded worried, and just a bit scared. I couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Wouldn't you distance yourself, if you weren't able to defend your little brother, if you'd let a little bit of snow stop you, if you felt if you hadn't been separated it never would have happened. If you were useless and weak." I don't know why, and I don't know how, but now it was out in the open. All the thoughts and emotions I'd kept bottled up all week. And a single tear.

"Is that how you've felt all week?" I nod. I don't trust my voice, I know that if I speak I'll start sobbing uncontrollably, another thing to add to the list of reasons as to why I'm weak. "I don't think any of that Donny, I don't blame you. I was careless and didn't watch my back. And, you'd only just gotten over the flu a couple of days beforehand, so you weren't at full strength anyway." Wow, Mikey did have a good point, and was acting serious. Not one of his strong points. He almost made me feel better. Almost. "Besides, I would've gotten my shell kicked ages before that if you hadn't had my back at the start. And Don, I don't think you're weak. You're one of the strongest turtles I know. I mean, you have to be if you can put up with me and Raph, or Raph and Leo... and just Raph in general really! And you're not useless, without your big brain we'd be dead about 10,000 times by now! You're not useless Donny. You're not weak."

"I, I... thanks Mikey." I don't know how Mike managed to do it, but he'd made me feel just about fine. That just left one question... "By the way, why'd you come looking for me? Did you break something?"

"Ha ha, just because I came looking for you it does not mean I broke something! I actualy came to find you 'cause I got Dad to let us stay up late for a movie marathon! I wanted each of us to choose a movie, wanna come?"

"Of course, but how'd you get Sensei to agree to this?"

"Umm, let's just say we may have to watch a few of his feature length soaps in between movies."

And then, laughing our shells off, we went back to the lair. I'm Donatello, and if me and my brothers were a normal play chord, I'd be the one in the left hand. Quiet and barley noticeable, but always there, to make the sound complete.

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A/N: So, there you have it! You like? Don't like? Hate? Please let me know. Love you all, BYE!


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